Railway crosstie anticheck



March 1 c. 1.. WICKERSHAM ET AL 2,395,492

RAILWAY CROSS TIE ANTICHECK Filed June 20, 1944 a1 VVicZ'ers/z am Patented Mar. 12, 1946 RAILWAY CROSSTIE ANTICHECK Charles L. Wickersham, Pittsburgh, Pa., and Jacob Alvin Hyle, Detroit, Mich.

Application June 20,1944, Serial No. 541,144

7 Claims.

This invention relates to a means to prevent railway cross ties from checking or splitting.

An object of this invention is to provide an anti-splitting means of this kind which is of sim ple construction and will not materially add to the cost of the cross ties,

Another object of this invention is to provide an anti-splitting means of this kind which can be installed at the time the cross ties are bein prepared for creosoting, the installation being an exceedingly simple operation so that the preparation of the cross ties to receive the anti-splitting means will not delay the handling of the cross ties during the creosoting thereof.

A further object of this invention is to provide an anti-splitting means which is mounted in the ends of the cross ties, being wedged into slots or recesses formed in the ends of the cross ties, the anti-splitting means including a pair of parallel plates and a locking bar for holding the plates against outward and lateral movement.

With the foregoing objects and others which may hereinafter appear, the invention consists of the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be more specifically referred to and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein is shown an embodiment, but

it is to be understood that changes, modifications and variations may be resorted to which fall within the scope of the invention as claimed.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a detail end elevation of a railway cross tie having an anti-check device constructed according to an embodiment. of this invention mounted therein,

Figure 2 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on. the line 22 of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure l, and

Figure 4 is an exploded perspective view of the anti-check elements removed from the rear tie.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral I9 designates generally a railway cross tie of the type which is normall impregnated with creosote or other preserving means and is secured in the normal manner beneath the rails. The tie Ill under normal conditions has a tendency to split lengthwise thereof and in a vertical direction thereby shortening the life of the tie even though the wood forming the tie is in condition where it might be used for a number of additional years.

In order to provide a means whereby the tie it will be held against splitting, we have provided a pair of substantially semi-circular recesses II and I2 extending into each end of the tie in spaced relation to each other and inwardly from the opposite vertical sides of the tie. A pair of substantially semi-circular plates I3 and I4 are adapted to be forced into the openings I I and I2, these openings being of such a width that it will be necessary to forcibly press the plates 13 and I l into these openings.

The tie II) has cut in each end thereof a hori- Q zontally disposed slot I5 which extends across and intersects the openings II and I2. A locking member generally designated as I6 is adapted to be pressed or otherwise forced into the slot I5 and as shown in Figure 4 the locking member I6 is formed of a longitudinally bowed flat bar I having formed integral with the opposite ends thereof a pair of jaw members I8 and I9, 7

The inner edge 20 of the jaw member I8 is adapted to engage against the outer side of the plate I3 whereas the inner edge 2| of jaw member I9 is adapted to engage against the outer side of plate I l. Plate I3 is formed with an outwardly opening slot 22 within which the adjacent portion of the bar I! is adapted to engage and the plate I4 with a slot 23 within which the adjacent portion of bar I! is adapted to engage so that the outer edge of the bar I8, when in applied position, will be flush with the outer straight edges 2t and 25 of plates I3 and I4, respectively.

Jaw member I8 has struck therefrom a tang 26 and jaw member I9 has struck therefrom a tang 21. These tangs are adapted to bite into the adjacent side of the openings or slot I5 and thereby hold the bar IT with the jaws I8 and I9 against outward movement with respect to the tie I0.

In the application of the anti-checking means on the rail tie, the tie is initially formed with the openings or slots I I and I2 by means of a pair of rotating saw blades of disc-shape which are spaced apart the desired distance and are mounted on a common shaft. The two openings II and 52 can be formed in a single operation, whereupon the transverse horizontal slot I5 may be cut entirely across the end of the tie. The plates I3 and I may then be driven into the openings II and I2, the slots 22 and 23 registering with the slot or Opening I5 of the tie Ill. The longitudinal bowed clamping bar I1 is then pressed or otherwise forced into slot I5. The bowing of bar I! provides a means to more firmly hold bar I! against outward movement lengthwise of the rear tie I 0.

The outwardly directed tangs 26 and 22 which are carried by the jaws l8 and I9 will bite into the adjacent side of slot I5 so that these jaws with bar I8 will be held against movement length.

wise of the tie. Bar I! when in applied position is held against horizontal movement laterally of the tie by means of jaws l8 and I9 engaging the opposite faces of plates l3 and I 4.

With a construction of this kind, in the event the rail tie should split vertically at a point between the plates l3 and [4, the tie cannot spread due to the fact that plates l3 and 14 are held against movement relative to each other by the clamping jaws l8 and I9.

This anti-checking or anti-splitting means is mounted in each end of the rail tie and can be so mounted either before or after the tie has been creosoted, or otherwise treated against rot or other damaging elements. The anti-checking or splitting means being formed of only three elements which are preferably stamped or otherwise formed from metal will not appreciably increase the cost of each rail tie, but when applied to the tie will increase the useful life of the tie for a considerable period.

What we claim is:

l. The combination with an elongated wooden member having a pair of spaced apart semi-circular recesses in an end thereof and an elongated slot intersecting said pair of recesses and extending laterally therefrom, a pair of semi-circular plates seated in said pair of recesses and each formed with a slot registering with said first slot, an elongated bar seated in said first slot and engaging in said recesses, and a lug at each end of said bar bearing against the adjacent face of a plate to thereby hold said plates against lateral outward movement.

2. The combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein said bar is formed of resilient material and is longitudinally bowed whereby to provide for the frictional holding of said bar in said elongated slot.

3. The combination set forth in claim 1 including at least one tang carried by each lug and adapted to bite into a side of said elongated slot to thereby hold said bar and said lugs against outward movement lengthwise of said member.

4. The combination set forth in claim 1 wherein said bar is formed of resilient material and is longitudinally bowed whereby to provide for the frictional holding of said bar in said elongated slot, and each lug includes an oifset tang adapted to bite into a side of said elongated slot to hold said bar and said lugs against outward movement.

5. As a new article of manufacture, an antichecking means for rail ties comprising a pair of semi-circular plates adapted to be embedded in an end of a rail tie with the straight edge outermost, each plate having a slot in the outer edge thereof, and a clamping member substantially U-shaped in plan having the bight thereof engageable in said slots and the legs thereof abutting the outer sides of said plates.

6. An anti-checking means for rail ties as set forth in claim 5 wherein said plates are of particircular configuration with a straight outer edge.

7. An anti-checking means for rail ties as set forth in claim 5 including at least one tang struck from a leg and adapted to bite into a side of a slot formed in the tie to hold said clamping member against outward movement lengthwise of the tie.

CHARLES L. WICKERSHAM. JACOB ALVIN HYLE. 

